Sub - Saharan Africa, owing to its large diversity of agro-climates, farming systems and endowments in land and labor resources, necessitates different types of technology to enhance agricultural production. This paper deals primarily with the emphasis...
See More +Sub - Saharan Africa, owing to its large diversity of agro-climates, farming systems and endowments in land and labor resources, necessitates different types of technology to enhance agricultural production. This paper deals primarily with the emphasis different technology groups should receive in research and development programs. The technology groups considered in this report include (1) yield increasing technologies; (2) labor-saving technologies; (3) quality-enhancing techniques; (4) fodder management and production techniques; and (5) land investments. The paper further proposes that if a new technology or input does not reduce the unit cost of production (including the cost of family labor and the opportunity cost of owned land) the farmer will not adopt it. Using this simple idea, the paper shows that at low population densities, farmers will rarely be interested in yield-increasing technologies, unless they can be achieved with truly negligible cost in terms of purchased inputs or labor. The same applies to land improvements. On the other hand, new crops and quality-enhancing innovations are much more readily adopted and may provide better opportunities for research.
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